In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 21: Xi Yu

Chapter 21: Xi Yu

 

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called the Kingdom of Xi Yu.

 

This kingdom boasted vast lands, abundant harvests, joyful citizens, and overflowing coffers. It was a prosperous and strong nation, a dreamland for countless people seeking refuge and a place to settle.

 

If someone were to shout on the streets, “I am a citizen of Xi Yu Kingdom!” they would undoubtedly be surrounded by a sea of people, with no chance of escape!

 

Eyes would sparkle with envy and curiosity alike.

 

Why curiosity?

 

Because the Kingdom of Xi Yu was full of stories!

 

A hundred years ago, Xi Yu was an obscure place. Some said it started as nothing more than a large village, unworthy of being called a kingdom. Others claimed it originally had a different name, changed after a battle for the throne. Yet others said Xi Yu appeared suddenly, created by the gods themselves.

 

Debates raged endlessly without conclusion. The kingdom’s mysterious origins only deepened people’s curiosity about its present-day glory.

 

Legend has it that on an unremarkable day, the ruler of Xi Yu dreamt of a deity. The god said to him, “You have great potential. Worship me, and I will lend you some assistance.” With that, the god departed, leaving the ruler bewildered, for the deity had obscured its own visage and given no name. This left the ruler at a loss.

 

Should he offer worship? What if he got it wrong? But not worshiping would mean wasting a divine blessing—unthinkable!

 

In the end, the ruler made a decisive choice: he would worship them all!

 

Temples were built, incense burned, and the air filled with devotion.

 

This practice continued for an unknown length of time…

 

Until a certain year of severe drought.

 

The harvest failed, people were starving, and the ruler himself went to the countryside to console the suffering citizens. He wept upon witnessing their plight.

 

Moved by his sorrow, the Rain God descended and said, “If you worship me alone and gather incense offerings, I can summon rain to end this calamity.”

 

The ruler immediately elevated the Rain God to the position of primary deity, directing all incense offerings to her. Not long after, a torrential downpour arrived, relieving the drought.

 

After that, gods were ranked by priority.

 

In the years that followed, it became customary to worship gods according to need: praying for good weather, peace, or wealth, depending on the ruler’s desires. However, it was said that one could not have it all. A primary god had to be chosen, and each ruler was allowed only one to avoid angering the deities. Some rulers, lacking ambition or diligence, would neither summon nor dismiss gods, leaving things as they were.

 

For decades, things continued peacefully until one day, a celestial phenomenon occurred!

 

Howling winds, thunderous skies, a torrential downpour by day followed by radiant rainbows, joyous birds and butterflies, and blossoming flowers.

 

The second prince of Xi Yu was born!

 

The people were astonished.

 

Rumors quickly spread that the second prince was born on an auspicious day and hour, divinely blessed, with the potential to ascend to the heavens!

 

At the prince’s naming banquet, the crowds buzzed with speculation.

 

The surname was set by ancestors, but the given name was chosen by consulting the heavens. The young prince touched the dictionary, flipping pages solemnly until he stopped at the character “Yu.”

 

The second prince was named Xi Yu!

 

Sharing a name with the kingdom, this was seen as a divine blessing and a sign of great fortune. The people rejoiced!

 

Time passed swiftly like the turning of pages, and the second prince grew up amid high expectations.

 

“Hello!”

 

“And hello to you!”

 

“Hello, hello, hello! Everyone’s doing well! Come, follow me! Let’s go together!”

 

…

 

In the bustling streets, a boy of eight or nine, dressed in white and gold, darted through the crowd.

 

He wore a golden crown, gleaming under the sunlight as if radiating its own light, catching and dazzling every eye.

 

The light illuminated his face, pale with a rosy hue from running. His chubby cheeks still carried baby fat, making him irresistibly pinchable—clearly a pampered young master from a wealthy family.

 

The boy’s white and gold robe was no ordinary garment. Upon closer inspection, it bore auspicious clouds below and soaring dragons above, symbols exclusive to the royal family.

 

“It’s the second prince!”

 

What first appeared to be a mischievous child turned out to be the esteemed second prince, disguised to visit the commoners and check on their well-being!

 

His identity carried more weight than his cheerful shouts. Suspicious and disdainful gazes turned into admiration and reverence in an instant.

 

The second prince had asked them to follow—surely something important was about to happen!

 

A trail of followers soon formed behind the prince.

 

Xi Yu skillfully navigated his way to a teahouse. Seeing it empty, he was delighted—the storyteller was indeed not there! His plan to sneak in during the lunchtime lull had worked!

 

The prince leapt onto the storyteller’s platform, grabbed the wooden clapper on the table, and struck a pose.

 

Having snuck out of his lessons to attend a few storytelling sessions, he found the craft fascinating and had long dreamed of performing himself. Today, he finally had his chance!

 

Clap!

 

Xi Yu struck the table with the clapper, instantly silencing the crowd.

 

Clearing his throat, he declared solemnly, “Today, I will tell you a tale—a royal secret you’ve all been curious about!”

 

The crowd stirred.

 

“The second prince is something else, sharing royal stories with us. No prince has ever done this before!”

 

“Truly a heaven-sent child.”

 

“I’ve always believed he was extraordinary. Look at how open and honest he is with us—definitely destined to become a god!”

 

“The prince is fully clothed though…”

 

…

 

Clap!

 

The clapper struck again. Xi Yu coughed theatrically and said, “Silence, everyone. I’m about to begin!”

 

“Let me tell you about the second prince of Xi Yu Kingdom—a truly disappointing figure. Since childhood, he’s been shouting things like ‘There are no gods in this world’ and ‘I trust myself more than any god.’ If an ordinary person said this, they’d be executed on the spot. But this prince only got confined for six months before being released.”

 

The crowd murmured.

 

“Royalty really does play by different rules.”

 

“Bah, he’s the second prince—a god in his own right. Of course, he can say such things. But who are you? Without gods, who would protect you?”

 

“True, true.”

 

“But after being released, the second prince suddenly changed his tune. Not only did he adopt a belief, but he also became devoted to the Northern Sovereign. Now, the Northern Sovereign is said to be of unparalleled beauty—both handsome and bewitching, with a cold and aloof demeanor. Let’s skip the details of his appearance…”

 

Someone raised a hand to interrupt. “You can’t skip that! Handsome and bewitching I get, but adding aloof? I can’t picture it!”

 

“Exactly! Describe it in detail!”

 

Faced with the enthusiastic shouts, Xi Yu paused.

 

He couldn’t picture it himself. His description came from a vague familiarity—a figure in his mind, entirely shrouded in black.

 

Yet the clamor didn’t fluster Xi Yu. Scanning the crowd, he planned to cobble together a description based on a few people’s features.

 

Then, his gaze froze on a man in blue amidst the crowd.

 

The man stood tall and straight, his simple blue robe immaculate. He seemed disconnected from the bustling surroundings, standing apart.

 

The man was already looking up at him. Xi Yu’s gaze met his directly, and for a moment, the world seemed to fall silent.

 

Neither looked away.

 

Before his thoughts caught up, Xi Yu’s mouth moved faster than his mind, describing the man’s features: “Aloof in demeanor, enchanting eyes, a tear-shaped mole at the corner—small as a sesame seed—and a face that is undeniably handsome.”

 

The crowd murmured in understanding, though vaguely.

 

But since the second prince had spoken, it had to be true.

 

Applause and cheers erupted.

 

“Got it, got it!”

 

“Wonderful! Excellent!”

 

Clap!

 

The wooden block struck again. “Back to the topic, as I was saying about this Bei Shang Zun Jun, have any of you heard of him? And do you know what he protects?”

 

The audience shook their heads collectively, murmuring among themselves, with no one able to provide an answer.

 

They turned to ask Xi Yu.

 

“Is he very famous?”

 

“Everyone in the royal family knows about him.”

 

“Is he powerful?”

 

“Extremely powerful.”

 

“Have you seen him with your own eyes?”

 

“I have.”

 

…

 

With each question and answer, the curiosity in the crowd only grew. The more they asked, the more they wanted to know about what exactly such a powerful deity was protecting. Their eyes glimmered with admiration.

 

Xi Yu finally revealed the answer: “He protects peace and prosperity for the nation.”

 

The crowd erupted in excitement.

 

This was good—this was very good!

 

Everyone knew about the constant warfare at the nation’s borders in recent years. The battles never seemed to end; one day, there would be news of a great victory, and the next, reports of lost territory. It left people restless and filled with dread. Naturally, the temples and shrines saw an uptick in offerings, as people prayed for peace.

 

But it was of no use. Not a single deity was known to protect this.

 

Now, the appearance of this divine protector was nothing short of a blessing in the darkness, a beacon of hope in troubled times!

 

The reaction from the crowd was precisely what Xi Yu had anticipated.

 

He had prepared for this moment for a long time.

 

First, introduce a deity no one had heard of before. Then, use probing questions to pique the audience’s curiosity while simultaneously boosting his own credibility. Finally, unveil the deity’s role, tailored perfectly to the people’s current needs. Mission accomplished!

 

At this point, the listeners were ready to erect a temple for Bei Shang Zun Jun right then and there, to kneel and bow their heads, offering their prayers and wealth in gratitude!

 

Their hearts raced with excitement!

 

Their hands trembled with anticipation!

 

Next, Xi Yu planned to act as the thunderstorm that cools a summer’s day, pouring cold water over their enthusiasm. He would reveal the truth: this so-called Bei Shang Zun Jun did not exist at all!

 

He instinctively glanced towards the green-robed man from earlier, curious about his reaction. But when he looked, the man was gone.

 

Turning his head, Xi Yu scanned the crowd. The man had left at some point without his notice.

 

“Was my story boring?”

 

The most exciting part hadn’t even come yet!

 

When he felt the atmosphere was sufficiently built, Xi Yu slammed the wooden block down once more, silencing the crowd. Grinning mischievously, he said, “Now, do you know where this Bei Shang Zun Jun comes from?”

 

They didn’t know.

 

Xi Yu replied, “Actually, this Bei Shang Zun Jun is nothing more than a character I made up. He doesn’t exist, and neither does his power. You see, some things are easy to believe just by hearing them spoken aloud. That’s why they say: seeing is believing, while hearing is deceiving—”

 

Bang!

 

Although he had anticipated it, Xi Yu was still unprepared for the force of the punch that sent him sprawling to the ground. The person who threw the punch did not hold back in the slightest. The blow carried such weight, it seemed they wished it could crush him under a boulder and end his life altogether!

 

Xi Yi was seething with anger. “Do you even realize what you’ve done today? Have all those six months of confinement gone to waste? Is your brain completely filled with worms? Telling stories in the street—how could you even think of doing such a thing?!”

 

The Empress Dowager quickly stepped forward to shield Xi Yu, defending him. “He’s still young and doesn’t know any better. It’s normal for children to make mistakes.”

 

Xi Yi could barely contain his fury. “Young? Doesn’t know any better? That excuse doesn’t fix everything! Mother, do you even understand how much trouble he’s caused today?!”

 

Xi Yu and Xi Yi were not born of the same mother, and there was nearly a ten-year age gap between them. Strangely enough, despite the abundance of beautiful women in the royal palace, no other concubine had managed to bear a child. It wasn’t until ten years later that Xi Yu was born, by which time Xi Yi’s birth mother had passed away, allowing the Empress Dowager to ascend to the throne.

 

A single birth in ten years further solidified Xi Yu’s reputation as “heaven-sent.”

 

The truth was absurd.

 

Sometimes, in order to justify a narrative, people would go to great lengths to draw connections between unrelated things.

 

A dog giving birth to ten puppies? That was because Xi Yu was born.

 

The more people believed in him, the more eyes were on him. Every step Xi Yu took had to be perfect. Otherwise, people would begin to doubt: could he even walk at all?

 

In the most extreme cases, they might even claim: his legs were fake!

 

At that point, any explanation would be seen as an excuse, and an excuse would be taken as fact.

 

Xi Yi clenched his teeth so tightly they made a grinding noise. “Do you know what he said on the streets today? He claimed that Bei Shang Zun Jun was fake! That gods were fake! That even his so-called ‘heaven-sent’ title was fake! I swear, I wish I could crack open his head and see what’s inside! Xi Yu, don’t think you can just lie there playing dead and get away with this! Answer me!”

 

One side of Xi Yu’s face was swollen red and bruised, purple from the impact. He had cried earlier, leaving his eyes red, but now he stood up and wiped his face clean. His gaze was stubborn and filled with indignation as he stared at Xi Yi, biting his lip as he replied firmly, “I. Did. Nothing. Wrong.”

 

Slap!

 

A hand struck him across the face. “Nothing wrong? Still insisting you did nothing wrong?! Do I have to beat some sense into you?!”

 

Xi Yu retorted, “Even if you beat me to death today, I did nothing wrong!”

 

The Empress Dowager stepped in to stop them. “Enough, enough! Don’t hit him anymore. Xi Yu is still young, and what’s done is done. Let’s focus on solving the problem instead of resorting to violence!”

 

—

 

When Xi Yu was locked in the Hall of the Gods, his face was so swollen it resembled a pig’s head.

 

The Hall of the Gods housed the ancestral tablets of all the deities worshipped throughout Xi Yu Kingdom’s history. Whenever Xi Yu misbehaved, his punishment was to kneel before the ancestral tablets in this hall.

 

Once the grand bronze doors shut, the hall turned pitch black.

 

Anyone entering for the first time would surely feel disoriented, their vision engulfed by darkness and their steps unsteady, overwhelmed with panic and fear.

 

But Xi Yu had grown accustomed to it. Even if his eyes were gouged out, he could still navigate the hall with ease.

 

He had long since forgotten the reason he was first locked in there, but the emotions of that day remained vivid—alone in the darkness, abandoned by everyone, left with nothing but the cold ancestral tablets. He had pounded on the doors with his fists, crying and pleading to be let out.

 

No one cared.

 

Xi Yu spent an entire night alone in the pitch-black hall.

 

Afterward, he was punished for improper table manners, for fighting, for skipping lessons, for climbing trees to steal bird eggs, and especially for sneaking out of the royal palace to explore the outside world. Each offense earned him another trip to the Hall of the Gods.

 

At first, he feared it and exercised some restraint. But over time, he became indifferent and let himself run wild.

 

Now, as Xi Yu turned to face the rows of ancestral tablets arranged in a triangular formation, he found the sight somewhat amusing.

 

“I was just here this morning, and now I’m back again by afternoon. Why don’t you just set up a bed for me here? It’d save me the trouble of running back and forth.”

 

Xi Yu knelt on the cushion, leaned forward, and reached under the table. From its hidden compartment, he pulled out a notebook and a pen. He began writing: Telling stories might work. They seemed to take it in.

 

Unconsciously, the pen’s end touched his swollen cheek, causing him to wince in pain. “Tsk.” He continued writing: But it only seems so. Words are easily overturned. Their beliefs are rigid, so I need a way to make them fully believe me.

 

He circled the words fully and rigid before adding: But not too much. I’m no god.

 

As he chewed on the pen, lazily pondering his next steps, he suddenly froze.

 

Footsteps.

 

They were approaching his direction.

 

Xi Yi!

 

In a panic, Xi Yu shoved the pen and notebook back under the table. He straightened his posture, deepened his breaths, and adopted an indignant expression as he faced the ancestral tablets.

 

At that moment, the grand doors creaked open slightly, allowing a sliver of light to spill in before they shut again.

 

Xi Yi walked up behind Xi Yu and said, “Who are you trying to fool?”